MBB: NESCAC

[NEhoops]

I think it's clear to see that Amherst and Middlebury will be early favorites to represent the NESCAC amongst the top teams in the region. It's too early to tell about anyone else in that regard. Williams has a good starting group returning, but needs to prove that it has some depth. Also, losing Wang will have an effect, even if he was 50% most of the year his experience/production will not be duplicated by any incoming player. Wesleyan returns four starters and will be very strong again, but they had some inconsistent games down the stretch. They will be in the conversation, but they need to avoid getting complacent and the thought that they are another year older and can just show up and be a better team.

From a recruitment standpoint I think coaches approach it rather evenly based on position need and how they fit into the system. All coaches have a plan, but based on not having scholarships and some other factors, things can change. A coach that might run an offense predicated on high/low post action might end up recruiting two point guards in one class if they are the "best available players". 

[nescac1]

Looks like Strahorn, who was a great player for Colby, is working hard to turn the program around.  The Mules were a dominant team in New England (and might have been nationally if eligible for the NCAA tourney) in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and it's good that they have a young, enthusiastic coach who seems eager to reestablish the tradition created by Whitmore.  This year, of course, will be a rough one as relying on frosh is never going to get it done in NESCAC, but the growing pains will surely pay off in the future.

MIT has its roster posted.  I expect them to be the overwhelming favorite, not only regionally, but nationally.  They bring their top four players back (Hollingsworth, Karraker, Kates, and Tashman), all of whom are seniors -- two of them fifth year seniors! -- and all four of whom will contend for, at a minimum, regional honors as individuals.  Added to the mix is Jimmy Burke, a sharp-shooter was the team's second-leading scorer as a frosh before taking two years off from hoops, and Todd Cramer, who based on his stats is a Luke Hancock type player (for those familiar, a D-1 do-it-all small forward who is a particularly good passer), a transfer from CalTech who was CalTech's star player and should fit right in as a facilitator with more talent around him at MIT.  They also have a large group of rising sophomores who figure to improve, including Reiner Strobos, a big-time recruit from last season who did not play as a frosh (injured?), and a 6'10 frosh center from Greece who is supposed to eventually be a big-time player and was on the Greek national team.  In other words, hard to see a weakness there and they will have tremendous depth, size, and shooting, led by maybe the best point guard in D-3.  Their projected starting five of Hollingsworth, Tashman, Cramer/Strobos, Karraker and Kates features pretty much the prototype player (elite post scorer with plus size, physical rebounder who can score inside, athletic skilled wing, sniper, and pure point guard) you would want at each spot, and their big weakness in recent years, depth, has turned into a strength.  Tufts is the only NESCAC team they play, but I expect that no one will want to face them down the road in the tourney.  They should dominate their schedule (other than Harvard of course, which could be a very interesting exhibition). 



http://www.mitathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/2012-13/roster 

[P'bearfan]

I met the MIT coach at the Harvard camp this summer.  It sounded as if he was bringing in quite a Freshman class this year.  He described 1 quality player at each position and good size too.  I remember him mentioning the 6'-10" center from Greece (kinda hard to forget that), but his other 2 forwards are big as well.  Sounds like they're ready for another deep tournament run.

[madzillagd]

Couple more Colby players....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colby-College-Mens-Basketball/176002552474960

Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart 6'6" 190 lbs., a 2012 Maine Mr. Basketball semifinalist out of Bangor High School has joined the Mules this season. The 2nd team All-State player averaged roughly 12 ppg and 8 rpg for Bangor last season en route to a 14-6 record.

"Patrick is the type of player that just finds a way to make winning plays," Coach Strahorn said. "He has great length which gives him the chance to be a plus defender and rebounder, two areas we were really hoping to improve on. He has a good combination of inside-out ability and his skill level will fit very nicely in the style of play we are hoping to continue to build."


Sam Wilson
Another freshman forward for the Mules this season will be Sam Willson who stands at 6'5" 200 lbs. Like Hudnut, Sam took a post-graduate year last year at Deerfield Academy where he had a stellar season scoring the basketball.

Coach Strahorn said, "Sam is another guy who greatly benefitted from his PG year. He has put on some significant muscle that is going to allow him to play and defend multiple positions. He shoots the ball very well for a guy with his size."

"He can attack off one or two dribbles," the head coach continued. "And he uses his size to create space to get his shot. He is another guy that really fits how we are hoping to develop the program with his size and skill."

[amh63]

Madz.....Thanks for being on top of things.

[WPI89]

You Amherst backers are going to be pleased with a player from Connecticut that has committed to becoming a Lord Jeff.  Will post here as soon as it is public, but he is from my home town and should contribute next year and beyond.

[nescac1]

I think WPI89 may be referring to Jeff Racy, I saw something online awhile back about him committing to Amherst, a tall shooter from CT. 

Colby's frosh big guys will get a chance to contribute a lot right away, given how little returning size there is on the roster.  That is a good thing for their development, but probably a bad thing for Colby's chances next season ...

[WPI89]

That is right NESCAC1 - had not seen his name anywhere online yet - so didn't want to mention.  6'5'' in socks and excellent 3-point type range - as his body continues to fill out, I could see him fitting right in with the NESCAC action.  He has a "little" brother that is taller than he is and only a soph in HS - maybe they will be a package deal in 3 years?

[amh63]

WPI89 and Nescac1......thanks for the heads up!  Just to throw a possible future recruit from CT into the discussion..,there is a player at Farmington HS (a school that has sent a number of student athletes to Amherst) that is at present about the same size.  His sister is a WBB on the Amherst fine women's team, a soph. front court player at 6'.  He was pointed out to me at a game in Amherst last year. I believe he is a junior this year and is listed on the CT prospects on NERR. 

[Old Guy]

We'll see if the Colby Frosh can have an impact. Middlebury's success in recent years has been the result of some crucial contributions by new players. I'm thinking of Ben Rudin, who started at the point as a frosh and was a main factor in Midd's dramatic turnaround in the next four years. Then in 2009, Middlebury started a frosh backcourt, Jake Wolfin and Nolan Thompson, who have had a nice run, to say the least. Joey Kizell had quite a first year. Is it fair to generalize and say that guards may make major contributions more quickly (cf. Toomey)?

Also, it strikes me that a pg year at prep school is more of a factor than in the past. True? Two of Colby's three frosh, so far, have had pg years. Midd's best-performing frosh last year, Dylan Sinnickson, had a year at Hotchkiss. Robinson, so hyped on this board recently, had a year at Exeter (after Governor's) before Williams; likewise, Conor Green (Amherst), who has a big rep, also had a pg year at Exeter.

Am I wrong, or just old, in remembering when these big-time expensive highly-regarded private schools were lousy in sports, compared to public schools? Do they have de facto athletic scholarships? Do they consider powerhouse teams with D1 prospects useful in admissions and fundraising, like colleges?

[madzillagd]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colby-College-Mens-Basketball/176002552474960

FROSH A DAY: DAY 4

In the 2012-2013 freshmen class, at the point guard position, in comes John Gallego out of the well-respected program at Chaminade High School in Long Island, NY. John stands at 5'8" 155 lbs. and during his senior season for the Flyers led his team to a 14-10 record.

"John has a really good feel as a point guard," Coach Strahorn said. "He has a quick first step and an ability to put pressure on the defense by getting the ball to spots on the floor." He continued, "While a little undersized, he has grown accustomed to finishing against bigger players. His ability to help create easy baskets and run the show offensively is what we will look for John to do at some point."

[amh63]

Good stuff being put on this board....not mine...! 
Old Guy....in response to one of your questions...just old....like me.  For the last decade at least if not more...almost all of the former exclusive prep schools have been places where high school players around the country can play and more important...get their school work habits in order for college.  I take the timeline back.  Over two decades ago, several D.C. players went up to Maine and NE for a pg year....to later attend an ACC school.  One thought to return and attend the U.of MD, decided to go to the Orangemen.  It is quite common to see many talented players head towards the Ivies, the Big East, the ACC and many more top Div.1 BB programs.  Local prep schools near Amherst....Deerfield and Mt Hermon have BB teams with all the players geared for Div.1 programs. 
This trend for players to go to private schools has been going on around the D.C. area for decades.  The private/expensive parochial schools "recruit" players from the local public schools and it is now common for students to transfer between BB powerhouse schools...all to improve their chances to get a scholarship to college...oops...to play BB in college first and then go pro.  It is imho, a sad trend.

[Old Guy]

I grew up in Maine - even that long ago schools like MCI (Maine Central Institute) and Bridgton Academy had powerhouse pg sports programs, that was their signature purpose. Then other schools too in NE - Cushing Academy and Brewster come to mind - emphasized pg sports. My question is when did the "rich and famous" (Choate, Taft, Deerfield, Mt Hermon, etc) decide to go this route - and why? And has the pg prep year become something of a "red shirt freshman" concept, a year to get bigger and stronger before entering the college fray? Seems something of a violation of the D3 ethos, no?

We have adopted too the lexicon of D1: we talk about "recruits" and "walk-ons." We have programs that put out their rosters before the season starts and "tryouts" are held. Seems like we might want to celebrate on this board those players who were lightly recruited or "walked-on" and made an impact on their squads (Nolan Thompson at Middlebury).

[madzillagd]

Being a West Coast person my entire life, it's definitely something that is interesting to me because that system does not exist out here at all.  First of all, we've got plenty of private schools but no boarding schools at all.  Secondly, I've never heard of a single school out here that does this one and done pg year.  From a sports perspective I can understand kids taking a year to develop their bodies and skills and getting that extra year where you know you're going to be seen.  From an academic standpoint I'm interested in how that gets treated by the admissions department from each school.  If a kid did ok in hs, and then kicks it up in their pg year I would think that would be a red flag for admissions that either they weren't applying themselves the first 4 years. 

[Charles]

Having had some experience with the NEPSAC basketball I can say that it is really just an extended AAU season for players. Sure there is "classwork" and it will help most of the kids that go there to become "eligible". Many colleges "stash" players in the prep schools hoping they will qualify after a year but that doesn't always happen.

When it comes to D1 basketball SAT scores and grades really don't matter as long as the kid can play. There are many ways to get around the "rules".